10-11-2006, 08:24 AM
A morning smile: http://www.beaverexaminer.com/2006/10/tr...hania.html
KINGSTON, Ont. - Canadian rock icons The Tragically Hip, beloved in their home country but ignored south of the border, are expected to finally crack the American market this month thanks to a new CD featuring wall-to-wall covers of Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Bryan Adams, and Nickelback.
"We've had a lot of success over the years, with some impressive albums and a lot of cool Canadian fans," said guitarist Robby Baker. "But deep down inside we've always known we were failures. If you don't make it in the U.S., you're not really a great band."
Tired of the way their intelligent and independent-sounding arena rock was being met with confusion south of the border, the band enlisted the help of superstar producer Guy Roche, who had worked with such stars as Dion and Christina Aguilera.
"Guy was tremendous," Baker said. "At first, we tried to do our own tunes, but we were having a hard time sucking the originality out of them. Then Guy says, 'You know, all the really big performers let someone else write their songs.' There was a click moment, you know? We knew this would be big."
Lead singer Gord Downie said working with Roche was inspiring. "Before, I got caught up on how to rhyme words like 'restraint' and 'sophisticated.' But after hearing the oeuvre of singers like Dion and Twain, I realized the power of the word 'love.' Glove, dove, above, these songs write themselves."
It hasn't been a completely smooth transition away from the band's old sound, however. Downie said learning the dance steps to Who's bed have your boots been under? had the group at wit's end. But in the end, their love of Twain's music saw them through.
Baker said the band was deeply touched by the results.
"When we first heard the recording of You're still the one, we all started to cry. We're sure most of our fans will cry, too."
KINGSTON, Ont. - Canadian rock icons The Tragically Hip, beloved in their home country but ignored south of the border, are expected to finally crack the American market this month thanks to a new CD featuring wall-to-wall covers of Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Bryan Adams, and Nickelback.
"We've had a lot of success over the years, with some impressive albums and a lot of cool Canadian fans," said guitarist Robby Baker. "But deep down inside we've always known we were failures. If you don't make it in the U.S., you're not really a great band."
Tired of the way their intelligent and independent-sounding arena rock was being met with confusion south of the border, the band enlisted the help of superstar producer Guy Roche, who had worked with such stars as Dion and Christina Aguilera.
"Guy was tremendous," Baker said. "At first, we tried to do our own tunes, but we were having a hard time sucking the originality out of them. Then Guy says, 'You know, all the really big performers let someone else write their songs.' There was a click moment, you know? We knew this would be big."
Lead singer Gord Downie said working with Roche was inspiring. "Before, I got caught up on how to rhyme words like 'restraint' and 'sophisticated.' But after hearing the oeuvre of singers like Dion and Twain, I realized the power of the word 'love.' Glove, dove, above, these songs write themselves."
It hasn't been a completely smooth transition away from the band's old sound, however. Downie said learning the dance steps to Who's bed have your boots been under? had the group at wit's end. But in the end, their love of Twain's music saw them through.
Baker said the band was deeply touched by the results.
"When we first heard the recording of You're still the one, we all started to cry. We're sure most of our fans will cry, too."
